The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-05-13

I Natural Gas lts Discovery.
Hsv Albany Ledger
I "A new spaDer correspondent on visi
20 the gas region in Penn~y IvAniA trxces
'the history Of The introduction OF fhi
new element, aud found that gas IN larg'
quantities frst manifested itself in th,
PpnnsyIvania oil-fieIds in the memorable
spri.g Of 1864. from the Murray < Litil.
well on the Buchanan farm Il Rsosey'
willie. Al the first flow OF this well :
such thing being unhesrd Of and the
boiler being very close 70 the weiI-i'
caught Dire. and thir'y-ive persons per-
lished on the spot The surface gas from
these flowing wells was soon utilized foi
fuel il pumping and drilling wells. and
shortly after began to be used in dwell
lIings. Many curious devices were con-
ltrived for separating the gas from the
oil. the most common OF which was :
barrel, into which the well was allowed
10 flow, the gas being taken from the
top bv pipe, and carried away for use
as fuel, or burned In the open air From
this device sprung che modern gas
trap" now In general use In the oil;
country. In the lower, or Parker oil
field. the quantity Of gas increased as the
territory advanced southwark. La the
immediate vicinity or Parker City few
wells had sufficient supply Of gas TO
keep up the steam for pumping purpos-
Is. but AZ PetIoiia. six or eight miles 10
the southwest. each well had . surplus
In the year l372 large gas well was
n - Ia
no oil whatever. but the gas rushed
from the casing head with deafening
roar that could lie heard for miles An
attempt was made at thst time to organ
ize company for the purpose Of piping
the gas 10 Piifsburg. but on account Of
the inferior Illuminating powers Of the
gas the scheme was abandoned Mems
minds couldn't grasp the great posi-
biiities Of gas as . fuel all At once. Dur
Ing the wave Of the oil excitement in
northern PennsyIvanis. from 1855 10
1867. number of wells were put down
ia Tioga and Bradford counties. from
some OF which there were large flows OF
Eas, but none of il was utilized. In the
early oil Investigations in this country
gas uas encountered in considerable
quantities along the Mshoning. in the
neighborhood Of Eiinburg Fifteen or
more Years ago several wells were bored
IN Erie and along the lake shore, aud
good veins OF gas were struck at from
500 to 700 feet One It Northeast sup
piled the light and fuel for > large paper
mill also. for the residence Of it owner,
Mr.. Johnson.
Hon. Morrow B. Lowry was an enihu-
Iiastic advocate Of The theory (for ~ that
lime II Vas only . fhe0ry) that North
western Pennsylvania Was the store
l0use Of large deposits nf natural xas.
md THAT il might. could. should ana
would eventually be used 20 . great ad- 4
'antage - 3 fuel in our manufactures 4
rully ffleen years ago be put down q
veil in his back ssrd. few rods from .
he lake shore. ia Erie, aud obtained Z
God supply Of gss. which he burned I'M
very room OF his residence. The cheer
nl fre-place with old-ia-hioned and (
r0ns, heaped up with metallic wood per-
3rated In such . manner ih wen the I
- Was turned on and igni, : one had
} draw on his imagination l.: slightly !
order 70 think that be VA roasting {
ID shins IT . genuine New England
earth Of the last century. Just - bis
leory vas developing into : Iaci Nor
~ b. Lowry died. in Kirkbridge ssy- Q
i'm. hating been helpIessly insane for q '
lumber Of years. his peculiar hallocina- d
on being that be was engaged IN the
Of glass railroad propelled
electricity.
The Encyclopedia Briifanica gives Il
lst Liverpool. in The same state OF Ohio. r
q. credit OF being the first place to 4,
AXE systematic use Of the new fuel q
ertsin 1t il that in drilling . test well Il
r oil At that place in 1850 the tools v
ropped into crevasse in The rock ate
70 ieei, which was quickly followed bylo
! immense rush OF gas. which ignited q
ith terrific explosion, and burned G
C derrick, engine house, and buildingslis il
the vicinity. Another well drilling q
the same locality reached the gas sooI p
ter with . similar result For fifteen q
'ars the gas flowed uninterruptediy Il
om these wells. In 1876 two gentle o
en- Of East Liverpool cleaned ont one y
the wells and conducted the gas TO v
cir dwellings where il Was used for Al
Ell and light Two years later another il
ell was sunk. from which the town was X
pplied with light, and about two hun
ed fires with fuel. The wells not be-
2 properly cared for. and . trouble
me vein OF water battling their efforts
shut Il ont. the gas was gradually \,
oked of, and after the food OF l853 =
Q wells were abandoned, being vir- 4
ally drowned out. The town i now !
pplied with gas from other wells.
The lemon treatment Of bilionsnees IL !.
lite fashionable af present Most peo- :,